20 tips for PR students

This semester, I’m teaching a graduate seminar in public relations management at John Carroll University. This is the first week. One of the things I’m going to share is a list of tips that the professional I am now would like to have given the journalism student I used to be. Here they are:

1. In PR, deadlines are just as prevalent and often as frantic as they are for reporters.

2. Respect others’ deadlines, including those of peers and journalists.

3. Psychology and diplomacy are important in PR. So is a sense of humor.

4. Fearlessness will sometimes result in failure. Be fearless anyway.

5. Playing it safe will lead to lost opportunities and less growth.

6. Treat people decently. Snubbing reporters or colleagues can, and often does, backfire.

7. Do not lie.

8. But be careful where, when and with whom you are totally, openly, brutally honest.

9. If you spread gossip in writing—texts, emails, notes, hashtags, etc.—you might as well broadcast it.

10. Difficult or complicated conversations with a boss, client or reporter generally do not go smoothly via email. They fare even worse as texts.